By Lily Kelly-Radford
Work has never been more “self-serve” than it has since the pandemic lockdowns started in March. It’s an entirely new environment for most people. This calls on workers to demonstrate responsibility in fulfilling their duties remotely, which brings on new stress and anxiety as personal life and work overlap like never before.
How can you best support your mental health with boundaries and space while working from home?
Here are some suggestions:
• Simply maintaining a schedule is vital. Try to set a regular time frame were people know that you’re available and understand that you are free for calls.
• “Yes, we’re open!” Find ways to demonstrate that you’re working even if you’re not picking up the phone, indicating when you are in meetings or handling other administrative tasks. Some new norms regarding calendar habits should be established. Many people are simply blocking their calendar, but it is important to indicate what is taking place in those blocks.
• Assert boundaries for your time. Some managers perceive that because one is working at home they can add two hours to the individuals workday because the commute time is saved. They assume that the individual has more time to work because they are not in transit in larger epicenters. This logic does not make sense and it is a violation of an individual’s personal work requirement.
• Define your needs for flexibility. If your schedule needs to accommodate childcare, eldercare, homeschooling and work it can be difficult for to meet all the demands between nine and six. Identify work that can be done in flexible hours and shift it around your life. You may be able to collaborate with your coworkers to cover for each other.
• Get ready for shorter days. Protecting mental health will be especially important going into the fall and winter months when it gets dark at five. Many people struggle with that even when there’s no pandemic. When working in your home during the day and with requirements for physical distance, it is important to adjust breaks and make time for a daytime walk, eating lunch outside when possible. But also have scheduled time for social contact.